Church Organist
Salary

Over four-fifths of Church Organists in the United States are seasoned employees who have more than 10 years of experience in the field. Pay ranges from $12K to $137K per year, and the average comes out to $17K annually. Less than 10 percent receive medical and dental insurance and less than five percent get vision insurance. Most Church Organists like their work and job satisfaction is high. Women Church Organists who took the survey just slightly outnumber men. Figures cited in this summary are based on replies to PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Church Organist

A church organist plays the organ in church services. The organ is an important musical instrument in many religious traditions. In some cases, organists collaborate with the pastor or music director to choose hymns for the worship service. In others, organists are given an overview of the lesson and allowed to choose appropriate music. Often, these selections must be approved by the music department.

Church organists usually play for all of the services held in a given week and may occasionally be called upon to provide music for guest events the church is hosting. Sometimes organists accompany a church choir, and often they provide music for weddings and funerals. In most regular church services, an organist play several pieces, including a prelude, accompaniment to hymns, an offertory, and a postlude. The hours of the job can vary widely depending on how often services are held and the extent to which the organ is part of the service. Preparation time is important for this position, and if organists are unable to attend a service for any reason, they are often required to provide a suitable replacement for the duration of the time they will be absent.

Some churches look for organists with a bachelor's degree in music or a related field. Organists also must be able to demonstrate the necessary musical talent and a knowledge of the type of organ that the church owns. Interested applicants will likely be asked to play a few hymns for the pastor or minister of music.

Church Organist Tasks

Attend meetings and planning sessions.

Direct other instrumentalists.

Play for regularly schedules services and special events.

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Pay by Experience Level for Church Organist

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

The average inexperienced worker's salary is approximately $22K, and people with five to 10 years of experience bring in more at around $21K on average. For Church Organists, 10 to 20 years of experience on the job amounts to an average salary of $27K. Folks who claim more than 20 years of relevant experience actually report a comparatively lower median income of $23K.